1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital broadcasting system, and more particularly, to a digital broadcasting transmission system capable of providing detailed information on data broadcasting programs to a user via an electronic program guide (EPG).
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, digital television is a general term of televisions which transmit broadcasting in a digital mode. The United States determines to employ digital mode to the next-generation television called advanced television (ATV). In many countries, digital televisions have been actively developed in next-generation television modes interfaced with broadband integrated services digital networks (B-ISDNs) or computer networks. In Europe, many projects, such as HD DIVINE in the Kingdom of Sweden, SPECTRE in the United Kingdom, DIAMOND in the French Republic, etc., have been progressed.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional digital broadcasting transmission system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional digital broadcasting transmission system 100 includes: a plurality of single program encoding units 110 for encoding and multiplexing respective single programs constituted with video/audio/data signals; a PSIP (program and system information protocol) generating unit 120 for generating a PSIP which provides detailed information on the video/audio broadcasting programs to be multiplexed in the single program encoding units 110; a multiple program multiplexing unit 130 for multiplexing signals transmitted from the plurality of single program encoding units 110 and the PSIP generating unit 120; and a transmission unit 140 for transmitting signals multiplexed in the multiple program multiplexing unit 130.
Here, the single program encoding unit 110 includes a video signal encoder 111 (e.g., MPEG-2 encoder) for encoding video signals, an audio signal encoder 112 (e.g., AC-3 encoder) for encoding audio signals, and a single program multiplexer 113 for multiplexing the encoded video signals, the encoded audio signals, and the data signals of the audio/video broadcasting.
At this time, the information on the video/audio broadcasting can be displayed on a screen of the digital television in an electronic program guide (EPG) mode using the PSIP generated from the PSIP generating unit 120. Digital broadcasting program information edited by the EPG and displayed can provide the detailed information on the video/audio broadcasting programs to the user. However, in case of the data broadcasting program, only information on whether to be the data broadcasting is provided. At this time, the detailed information on the video/audio broadcast programs includes a broadcast channel number, a current time, a name of broadcasting station, a broadcasting start time/end time, a title of program, a grade of program, a stereo/mono classification, whether to provide a caption service, whether to provide a sound multiplexing service, a conditional access information, a program progression status, an additional text message, etc.
However, one or more data broadcasting programs can exist in one general video/audio broadcasting program, and respective data broadcastings are executed without regular rules within the general video/audio broadcasting program.
Accordingly, in an environment of the digital broadcasting via the conventional digital broadcasting transmission system, before the broadcasting programs including the data broadcasting program start, digital television viewers do not know detailed information on the data broadcasting, for example, how many data broadcasting programs are contained in the broadcasting program, when the respective data broadcasting programs start in an entire broadcasting program time, and how long the respective data broadcasting programs will be broadcast.
In addition, as the data broadcasting programs are playing an important role in transmission of game/education/information of all sorts, there are increasing demands to make good use of the contents of the data broadcasting programs.